Dear Friends, let’s talk East Africa and share some basic facts of compliance in relation to EAC integration process: Article 14 (1) of the EAC Common Market Protocol provides that the Partner States hereby guarantee the right of residence to the citizens of the other Partner States who have been admitted in their territories in accordance with Articles 10 and 13 of the same Protocol. In line with this provision, Kenya issued a total of 1,081, 2,755 and 810 residence permits in 2010, 2011 and as of May 2012 respectively, no workers and self-employed persons of other Partner States were denied residence permits. Rwanda had by May 2012 issued 653 residence permits to citizens from other Partner States since 1st July 2010. Tanzania issued a total of 601 residence permits between July – December 2010 and 1,200 in 2011 and a total of 145 dependant Passes were also issued during the same period. Burundi had issued 124 residence permits to other EAC Citizens between 2010 - April 2012; 51 for Rwandans; 7 for Ugandans; 30 for Kenyans; and 33 for Tanzanians. Uganda reported that 18 and 5 Residence permits were issued to citizens of other Partner States in 2010 and 2011 respectively. According to information from EAC Secretariat, in Rwanda, work/residence permits are issued within 3 days & are issued free of charge to all workers from the other Partner States, in Kenya, the process takes 30 days as prescribed in the Protocol and issued free of charge. However, in Burundi, the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda, the process ideally takes 30 days as prescribed in the Protocol and the Work/Residence permits are charged according to the prevailing fees for issuance. Thus if this was to be used as a measure of compliance and commitment to regional integration, Uganda would be a key bottle neck to the integration process compared to the other four EAC partner states and at the same time, Uganda would be knocked out of the coalition of the willing to lead the “so called” club of the slow runners based on the 2013 Entebbe Tripartite Meeting. I appeal to Ministries of East African Community Affairs in all partner states to harmonize all compliance issues as well as taking lead in sensitizing East Africans about integration. I wish you all a more productive 2014. Kaliija Kats, is an East African from Uganda.
Posted on: Wed, 15 Jan 2014 20:08:49 +0000
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